Man fined after he was found carrying sword in Boston Market Place

A man found with a sword in Boston’s Market Place, was trying to sell it to buy alcohol, a court has been told.

Aigar Norowski, 28, of James Street, admitted possessing a bladed article in a public place without a good reason, when he appeared at Boston Magistrates Court.

Marie Stace, prosecuting, said police were told at 4.30am on May 13, that there was a man carrying a large sword in the Market Place and they found Norowski in an alleyway with the sword discarded nearby.

He told the officers he had been out drinking and had ‘drunk a lot’ before he had run out of money.

Ms Stace said Norowski said he had met a man who had agreed to buy a sword from him that he had at home and had gone home to get it but when he returned to the town centre had not been able to find him and did not know his name.

She said he said he had seen the police and thought they might take him or the sword and had gone into the alleyway.

She added he had told officers it was not an offence to carry a sword in his own country (Russia) and he had not known it was illegal to carry one here.

Mitigating, Beris Brickles said the sword was in its scabbard and had belonged to his landlady who kept it in her front room...

He said Norowski had been drinking heavily and had met someone who was ‘some sort of antique dealer’ and he had mentioned the sword and the man had said he might be interested in buying it so, as he wanted more alcohol, he had gone home to get it.

“There is no allegation or threat of violence,” Mr Brickles told the magistrates, adding that it was not clear how many people were around at 4.30 in the morning.

“The motivation for this offence was not to cause harm but to buy drink,” he said.

The magistrates told Norowski he was a ‘very silly man’.

“The sword could have been taken from you and used against you,” they said.